Mario Cristobal updates injuries, Kayvon Thibodeaux

Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal offered an update on star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who suffered an ankle sprain in Oregon’s 31-24 win over Fresno State and is considered day-to-day.

“We’ll see,” Cristobal said on if Thibodeaux will participate in practice this week. “It’s still early in the week. We’re doing some things just not doing a whole bunch. We’re being, I wouldn’t say cautious, we’re just doing the right thing to make sure that as we heal, that we’re healing at the right pace so that we can be available as soon as we can possibly be.”

Thibodeaux’s availability for Oregon’s matchup with Ohio State on Saturday, Sep. 11, is unknown.

Cristobal was also said linebacker Dru Mathis “could be” out for an extended period of time after suffering a left knee injury on Saturday.

“We got nicked up pretty good on Saturday,” Cristobal said. “So those are some things we have to deal with and some things we get them out to you as soon as we can, other things require some evaluation and other things we just hold. It’s out of respect for our players and respect for our processes.”

Mathis will be unavailable for at least the Ohio State game, Cristobal stated earlier in the week.

Thibodeaux was seen on the sidelines with a walking boot late in the third quarter of Saturday’s game after a teammate rolled on his ankle in the first half. Thibodeaux is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Prior to the injury, Thibodeaux, a preseason All-American, had a strip-sack that set up an Oregon touchdown.

Mathis exited the Fresno State game midway through the first half Saturday and left the field on crutches. He was in street clothes when Oregon came out of the locker room for the second half and wore a large brace on his knee. 

Mathis’ injury comes as a rather significant blow to the Ducks. He is one of just a handful of Oregon seniors who figured to play regularly on the defensive side of the ball this season, and he’s a steady presence at the WILL linebacker position. 

In Mathis’ absence second-year freshman linebacker, Justin Flowe stepped up. The former five-star prospect racked up a team-high 14 tackles and forced a decisive fumble late in the game.

No. 12 ranked Oregon heads to Columbus to take on No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday, Sep. 11.